Conventional methods for obtaining information over the Internet include visiting a website (e.g., via a web browser) to view and interact with the data provided by a server hosting that website. Typically, a website includes retrievable web pages encoded according to a markup language such as HTML (e.g., Hypertext Markup Language). As well known, a browser retrieves a web page and displays it for viewing by a respective user.
In addition to HTML, the SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) has been developed and recommended as a way for enabling on-line multimedia presentations. In general, it defines markup for timing, layout, animations, visual transitions, and media embedding, among other things. Some of the things that SMIL is used for are to create slide-show presentations and the SMIL technology has the ability to display multiple file types like text, video, and audio.
Examples of SMIL standards include SMIL version 1.0, SMIL version 2.0, and SMIL version 2.1. At the time of this writing, SMIL version 3.0 was being developed.
One conventional method for obtaining information over the Internet includes use of so-called media feeds (e.g., web feeds such as Really Simple Syndication “RSS”). Examples of RSS standards include: RSS 2.0, RSS 1.0, RSS 0.90, and RSS 0.91.
A conventional media feed such as an RSS media feed is a proactive data distribution system for serving users (e.g., subscribers of the media feed) frequently updated raw data content. Via use of a conventional media feed, a user/subscriber of the media feed passively receives updated content and/or notification information supplied by the media feed. Content distributors (e.g., publishers) can syndicate a media feed, thereby allowing users to subscribe to it. Subscribers may aggregate media feeds by making multiple media feeds available from one location (e.g., a subscriber's home computer).
According to conventional media feeds, a content provider publishes a feed link on their site (or via another syndicate server) so that users/subscribers can register using an aggregator program (also called a feed reader or a news reader) that executes on the users' computers. When instructed, the aggregator program queries each of the servers in a media feed list (e.g., the compilation of media feeds to which the user has subscribed) for new or updated content that may be available. Consequently, if the servers indicate that new content is available, the aggregator program either makes a note of the new content and alerts the user/subscriber, or the aggregator program automatically downloads the updated content (e.g., the downloaded content from a media feed is also commonly referred to as an enclosure).
In this manner, aggregator programs can be scheduled to periodically check the servers in the media feed list for newly available content. Additionally, as discussed above, a media feed can be used to notify the subscribers of new or updated content when such content becomes available.